In the crowded confines of stadiums or theaters it is impractical to balance a beverage container on the armrest of the seat or to place it on the floor since it is likely to be knocked over. Even if carefully balanced on the armrest, the occupant is deprived of the use of the armrest. Alternatively, it is awkward and tiring to hand hold the container during the course of a game or performance.
A number of trays or holders are available in the prior art to support one or more containers for holding beverages, popcorn, etc. They are especially tailored for a predetermined or standard style of armrest structure and are not easily adapted for use with other sizes and configurations of armrests. Moreover, they are too easily removable from the armrest so that they can be stolen or vandalized. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,962, for "Stadium Seat Arm Gripping Tray", is designed for a standard stadium seat armrest structure, and particularly a T-shaped armrest characterized by a vertical section surmounted by a horizontal section having laterally directed portions. The tray includes openings for supporting cups or containers. The tray further includes a mounting portion having a T-slot for longitudinally slidably fitting the mounting portion over the T-shaped armrest. By reason of this construction the tray is unfortunately easily separable from the armrest by simply pulling it outwardly, and its predetermined configuration enables its use with only one size and configuration of armrest.
Another representative device of the prior art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,326 for "Stadium Seat Arm Gripping Tray". This device is characterized by an arm portion for attachment to the seat armrest, and by an integral tray portion having a pair of recesses for containers. The arm portion includes depending side walls which incorporate spring fingers precisely dimensioned to snap onto a complementally dimensioned and configured armrest structure. The device is easily upwardly separable from the armrest simply by gripping one or both of the side walls and pulling them outwardly and upwardly. Another container supporting device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,969 for "Chair-Arm Cup Receptacle". It has the virtue of not being easily removable, but it is attached in position above the armrest by screws which pass through flexible tabs of the receptacle and into the arm of the chair. Consequently, the armrest is defaced, and the device itself projects some distance above the level of the chair arm.